This caselet tries to summarize the evolution of eCommerce in India in the last two decades and lists the phases as observed.
Summary from Wikipedia article here:
- Internet user base of 600+ Million in India
- Rapid growth in eCommerce but eCommerce penetration as a percentage of internet users is low compared to US, China, France and so on
- Cash on delivery is the preferred mode for more than 70% of users
- Demand for international products is high
- Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, JioOnline, Multiple grocery vendors and specialized sellers in electronics, gifts, travel and more are the leading eCommerce entities
- Open Network for Digital Commerce is under pilot phase in India
- Online travel booking, apparel, retail, grocery, electronics, mobile, DTH, warehousing, logistics, food delivery, ride hailing, furniture, luxury, home maintenance & services, gifts, fashion are a large component of eCommerce in India
- COVID-19 created lot of upheaval in the models and sales in eCommerce
- Evolution into 10-30 minutes delivery, next day delivery and innovative models have seen an uptick in last 3-5 years
- Large number of investors have put in money into various entities over the last 10-15 years
- Niche players in automobile, apparel, grocery and similar areas have been coming up
- String of acquisitions / mergers have happened over the last 10 years especially from large players
- B2B eCommerce is growing quickly. Players like Bizongo, Udaan, Medikabazaar, Moglix, Ofbusiness and Inframarket are present.
- Major regulation rules include foreign players not allowed to hold inventory
Phases as observed in the last two decades:
- Standalone focussed players – early entrants – with less regulation
- High growth in number of eCommerce players
- Entry of investors
- Regulations evolving over time
- Shift of smaller sellers (many of them) to marketplaces
- Friction between online & offline sellers
- Hyper competitive growth with losses to capture market
- Enablement of financial ecosystem like UPI, RuPAY, QR, JanDhan, Cash on delivery models and so on
- Evolution of 4G and broadband
- Specialized and niche sellers
- IPOs for many specialized players
- Newer models of sales around delivery, bundling of additional facilities and so on
- Evolution of local logistics players
- Consolidation, closures & M&A across the industry
- Brand building, focus shift to a mature mindset and ecosystem
- Newer initiatives to standardize eCommerce like ONDC and preparation for 5G
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce_in_India
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Network_for_Digital_Commerce
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/rapid-digitalisation-drives-b2b-ecommerce-during-pandemic/articleshow/88500483.cms
- Google News
Email me: Neil@HarwaniSystems.in
Having an interest in life long learning, teaching and overall education ecosystem and based on my experience with going through various diplomas and degrees, below is what I would say should be the future of education in India. If India needs to have more well educated and better / productive citizens, then education & health have to be in primary focus.
- Online education courses should be promoted widely. Degree & diploma granting via online modes is a critical step for learning in people who cannot be involved in full time education in colleges / universities. Higher education related regulatory bodies have taken steps in this direction last year by approving a framework for online education. NPTEL, Swayam have already existed since few years and this framework for regulation is the logical next step
- Innovative courses around areas like cyber security, pharma management, analytics, bio-technology, quantum computing, satellite technology, geo-sciences, bioinformatics linked to innovative and new upcoming areas, space sciences, etc. should be readily promoted
- Work integrated learning programs where learning is integrated with work via exercises, self study on top of online modules should be promoted
- Bachelors & Masters degrees should be made a lot more flexible in terms of what students can study, how they get entry into it and what majors they specialize in. A Physics / engineering student should be allowed to take credits from arts, economics, other sciences, medicine, pharmacy, etc. as long as s/he meets the pre-requisites. Admissions should be based on standardized tests rather than long theoretical / domain mapped exercises / tests. Change of full major in Bachelors and Masters should be allowed mid way through the course as long as credit and requirements are met
- Complete change in areas of specialization between Bachelors and Masters should be allowed based on student interest and background
- Executive education in terms of work integrated, online, mixed mode should be encouraged and institutionalized
- Industry internships / linkages should be increased in realistic terms not just as an academic exercise by allowing 1-2 semesters in full degree to be done at a company with industry outcomes mapped to them
- Focus of regulation for courses in educational institutions should be on accreditation rather than approvals
- Part time, distance, online and executive education which in the recent years has faced major setbacks in terms of course closures, less or no approvals, inter state jurisdiction issues, etc. should be resolved at the earliest
- Single regulator for overall education system should be formalized and created
- School education should also be built on a lot more modular system where taking economics with biology or physics and literature or history should be considered normal not frowned upon
- Top universities from around the world should be allowed to form joint ventures in India for education, granting degrees, course development, up-gradation, consulting, etc.
- Research process, patent filing, trademarks, entrepreneurship, intellectual property rights and related laws, company formation, business incubation assistance, cyber security, etc. should be discussed and taught right from school level with compulsory modules / subjects in higher education. The full ecosystem of paper publishing, research, journals, conferences, research methods, statistics, etc. should be available as a module in schools & colleges for every student
- Rigid norms for PhD in terms of how, where, when, with what background and who can research should be relaxed so that industry professionals can jointly undertake research with universities at their work place easily
- Linkages with industry in terms of visiting faculty, adjunct faculty, part time professors from industry, joint research should be promoted in big way and institutionalized
Many of these things are already fully or partially enabled at some of the top universities and institutions in India like IIMs, IITs, BITS Pilani, NITs, IIITs, etc. but this now needs to percolate to the larger ecosystem
Email me at neil@TechAndTrain.com
Ideas on Innovation around Software. We Thrive On Ideas. We are Learner Centered, Open Source & Digital Focused.